Tina's Getting Married
by Nicole Renee
Summary: Kurt and Blaine return to Lima for Tina's wedding several years after graduation.


Tina's getting Married

"I know we didn't have to stay in a hotel, dad, but I'm on the phone constantly, coming and going at all hours to hammer out the last minute details of this wedding, and it was just easier all around for us to get a room here." Kurt paused as Burt spoke for a moment. "Yes, we'll be there around six tonight for dinner. Can we bring anything?" Kurt nodded in the air even though his dad wasn't there to see him. It was one of the many adorable habits he had, and Blaine propped his elbow on the arm of the plush chair he was sitting in and placed him chin on the palm of his hand as watched Kurt wrap up his conversation. "Okay. Love you too. Bye."

"Do you know how much I love you?" Blaine asked. Kurt paused on his way back to the hotel desk where a pile of color coded folders lays waiting for him, and looked up. He was taken aback a little by Blaine's apparently unprompted comment, but he recovered instantly.

"Yes," said Kurt with a sly half smile. "But feel free to tell me as often as you wish." Kurt strode over to the armchair and planted a soft kiss on Blaine's lips. He was about to turn back to the folders when Blaine spoke again.

"I have an idea," said Blaine. "Why don't we spend the day going around to all the places we used to go to when we lived here? We can go to _Breadsticks_ for early lunch. We can go to the revival theater and catch an afternoon show, and then grab we can a quick medium drip at the Lima Bean before we head to your parents for dinner."

"I still have so much to do," Kurt hesitated.

"No you don't. Aside from Tina's final fitting tomorrow and the sound and lighting check at the reception hall, you had nearly everything planned before we even left New York. You're a perfectionist, and you would spend every minute before Tina starts walking down that aisle checking and tweaking the tiny details if I let you." Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands. "We're here for a wedding, a celebration of love. Why not celebrate ours, too?"

"How can I argue when you put it like that?" Kurt conceded, and Blaine kissed him quickly but passionately before they departed.

Blaine led Kurt by the hand through the doors of perhaps the most familiar stop on their journey: their favorite coffee shop. Kurt looked around as they stopped at the back of the line to see if anything had changed since they were last there, but it appeared to be exactly the same as it always had. Same small tables with small but comfortable chairs, same strong but not bitter smell wafting through the air. It was comforting. Kurt smiled hugely as he saw a slight black haired boy in a familiar looking blue blazer pouring sugar into his coffee at the condiment counter.

"A lot of memories here," said Kurt. Blaine turned to Kurt and smiled a sappy sort of smile that still made Kurt's stomach do a pleasant back flip. That was comforting too: the knowledge that even though they had been together for years, he still felt excited when Blaine looked at him that way.

"This is where we shared our first meal as a couple," said Blaine, giving Kurt a playful nudge.

"If you can call splitting a low fat muffin a meal," he replied.

"This where we had our first serious discussion about the advancement of GLBQT rights, and our first not-so serious discussion about which diva did the role of Rose Hovick best in _Gypsy_."

"Not so serious?" Kurt protested. "And it was clearly Patti," said Kurt, matter-of-factly.

"This is where we had our first argument." Kurt crinkled up his nose as he remembered that one, but smiled at Blaine's next first. "And, this is also where we also had our first talk about our future together."

"Don't forget," Kurt added, leaning in close, "this is also the first place you told me you loved me."

"I'm about to tell you again," said Blaine leaning in too, but then he abruptly pulled away as his cell phone pulsed his text message ring tone. He looked at it for a moment. "Hey, I've gotta hit the restroom. Can you order me a medium drip, and I'll be right back?"

"Sure," said Kurt, the romance of the moment popping like a soap bubble as Blaine made a quick dash toward the men's room. He waited in line for a few moments before a familiar figure appeared next to him in the form of his very tall stepbrother. "Finn?" he said, confused. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Rachel weren't flying in until Thursday night?"

"Rachel will be here on Thursday as planned, but I took an earlier flight," said Finn.

"Why?" he asked, still very confused.

"I wanted to be here," said Finn, smiling very affectionately considering they had just seen each other a week ago before he and Blaine had left New York. "Besides, someone had to bring the guitar."

"Huh?" said Kurt, more confused than ever. Finn merely pointed over Kurt's shoulder. He turned around and saw Blaine standing on the small stage the café only used for the occasional open-mike night. He saw Blaine clutching the guitar he had left in their hotel room, and was suddenly very _aware_ of everything.

"Hello, uh, everyone," said Blaine looking around excitedly, and clearly nervous. "My name is Blaine, and, uh, considering the number of coffees I've bought here over the years, the lovely manager of this establishment, Amy, has graciously allowed me the use of this stage. I'm hoping you will allow me just a few minutes of your time today to do something very important."

"What is he doing?" asked Kurt quietly. Finn didn't respond. Blaine took a deep breath as if stealing himself, and then locked eyes with Kurt. All the nerves seemed to melt away from him when he did.

"Six years ago," began Blaine, "I met someone who changed my life for the better in every way imaginable. I hope he hears the words in this song, and that he knows just how much I love him." Blaine adjusted the strap on his guitar and began to strum a song that Kurt instantly recognized. The crowd around them was silent as he began to sing the words that made Kurt's heart feel as though it would explode.

_Forever can never be long enough for me  
>Feel like I've had long enough with you<br>Forget the world now we won't let them see  
>But there's one thing left to do<br>Now that the weight has lifted  
>Love has surely shifted my way<br>_

_Marry Me  
>Today and every day<br>Marry Me  
>If I ever get the nerve to say<br>Hello in this cafe  
>Say you will<br>Mm-hmm  
>Say you will<br>Mm-hmm_

Together can never be close enough for me  
>Feel like I am close enough to you<br>You wear white and I'll wear out the words I love  
>And you're beautiful<br>Now that the wait is over  
>And love and has finally shown him my way<p>

_Marry me  
>Today and every day<br>Marry me  
>If I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe<br>Say you will  
>Mm-hmm<br>Say you will  
>Mm-hmm <em>

Blaine got off the stage and continued to sing as wove through the crowd towards Kurt's statute-like figure.

_Promise me  
>You'll always be<br>Happy by my side  
>I promise to<br>Sing to you  
>When all the music dies<em>

And marry me  
>Today and everyday<br>Marry me  
>If I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe<br>Say you will  
>Mm-hmm<br>Say you will  
>Marry me<p>

Blaine set his guitar against the edge of an empty table. He took both of Kurt's hands in his own, and turned to look Kurt full in the face for several seconds. Kurt exhaled deeply, trying very hard not to cry.

"Before I knew you," Blaine began, "I didn't believe in fate. I thought that life was nothing more than a series of choices based on circumstance. Then, on a day that started out like any other, you showed up.

Of all the boys you could have stopped to talk to on that ridiculous spy mission of yours, you stopped me. That one little moment has defined so much of my life, I can't accept that it was nothing more than just some happy accident. _Fate_ brought you to me, Kurt, and in that moment fate handed me everything I would ever need, and all the things I never knew that I wanted.

It took me a little while to realize just how much I'd been given," Kurt laughed as Blaine looked sheepishly at his shoes, "but even though I look back on that time and shake my head wondering how I ever could have missed it, I'm grateful for that too. I'm grateful because in addition to finding the love of my life, I also had the time I needed to find my best friend.

Right here, with all the other caffeine addicts, I got to know you, Kurt." Blaine let out a deep breath, his nerves finally seeming to catch up to him. "This is where we shared our triumphs and struggles with one another over countless cups of coffee. We shared our dreams, and our fears. I never let myself trust anyone the way I grew to trust you. This," Blaine gestured with his eyes around the café, "is where I fell in love with you." Kurt brushed away the wetness that had fought its way to the surface from the corners of his eyes with an impatient swipe from his shaking fingers as he watched Blaine begin to tear up himself. "And now, among friends and strangers, this is where I ask you to choose me, the way I have chosen you. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Kurt couldn't help but laugh aloud as Blaine recited Billy Crystal's line from the movie Kurt had once referenced when attempting to define their relationship. He stopped laughing, and looked deeply into Blaine's eyes as Blaine looked into his. "Kurt Hummel, will grant me the honor of being my partner in the crazy world for the rest of our lives? Blaine cleared his throat, unsure if his voice would fail him when he needed it most. Will you marry me?"

Kurt stared into Blaine's warm chocolate brown eyes, and they owned him. Kurt knew, with as much certainty as a person is able, that he would spend every day for the rest of his life looking into those eyes.

"Yes," he finally managed to whisper, finally allowing Blaine the opportunity to exhale his baited breath.

"Yes?" Blaine repeated as a question, looking shocked and elated.

"Did you really think he'd say no?" asked Finn from a few paces behind them. His smile was so wide, it looked painful, and Kurt was amazed to see tears in _his_ eyes. If he'd looked around, he would have seen wet eyes on some of the unfamiliar faces too, but he could not manage to tear them away long enough for that.

"Kiss him!" yelled an anonymous voice from within the crowd after a few seconds, and Blaine promptly obliged by wrapping arms around Kurt's neck and pulling him into a lip-lock fueled by passion, joy, and pure love.

"This was the best casserole you've ever made," said Burt. He, Carol, Finn, Kurt, and Blaine, were all gathered around the Hummel's dinner table finishing the last bites of a delicious meal, prepared by Carol of course.

"You say that every time," said Carol.

"It's always true," he insisted. Burt then excused himself into the kitchen. When he came back he'd brought out a dark green bottle with gold foil along the top, and several glasses.

"Champaign?" questioned Kurt.

"I bought it a week ago when Blaine stopped by to tell me his plans for today." Burt winked at his future son in law with undisguised affection.

"How long had you been planning this?" asked Kurt, dumbfounded as to when Blaine could have slipped away to speak to his father. He must have been so caught up in the planning of Tina's wedding that he'd completely missed the signs leading up to his own pending nuptials.

"Years, if I'm being honest. But this specific plan has been in the works for a few weeks," answered Blaine. "When we bought our tickets to come home, I called Finn to see if he wouldn't mind helping me pull off something epically romantic." As Kurt stared at Blaine's blissful face, he was already plotting how he could get Blaine back with a romantic surprise of his own. Maybe a honeymoon to Paris? He'd need at least a year to pull off what he had planned for their wedding, so he'd have plenty of time to think it through carefully.

"This is so awesome," said Finn. "If anyone deserves to have their first love be their true love, it's you man." Affection for his brother gushed up inside of Kurt as he heard the sincere happiness in Finn's voice.

"I thought Finn here was your first love," said Blaine mockingly under his breath. They all still heard. Finn laughed loudly, and Kurt pushed against Blaine with the crook of his elbow.

"Don't make me regret telling you about that," hissed Kurt.

"Ah, don't be like that," said Finn in a quelling tone. "It was a good thing, actually. If you hadn't had…you know…a _crush_ on me back then, our parents might have never ended up together." Burt took Carol's hand in his, and the two looked nothing more or less than eternally grateful for one another.

"Fate is funny that way, isn't it?" asked Blaine. "You never realize when you're in it how important the small things can be, until you look back on it and see all the things that never would have happened without them."

"Uh, sure man. What you said," said Finn.

"Did you steal that line from another movie?" asked Kurt.

"Yep," said Blaine. "Ours." Kurt smiled as, without hesitation, Blaine leaned in for another kiss that would be just one among many across the span of their forever.

"I'd like to make a toast, if I may," said Blaine, standing up and raising a glass. Burt nodded, and they all raised their glasses. "To my love," Blaine said, looking down at Kurt. Kurt put his hand on top of Blaine's free one resting on the table, and squeezed it. "And to his, and now my, wonderful family. May we all have many more years filled with happy nights just like this one, _together_."

"Here, here!" shouted Finn as each member of the dinner party cheered and clinked their Champaign flutes.

They did.

The end…and the beginning.


End file.
